Emerging East Africa gold producer Caracal Gold has appointed former Kenya Ambassador to Tanzania Dan Kazungu as a nonexecutive director, effective March 7.

He joins Caracal’s board after serving as the Kenya High Commissioner to Tanzania, where he carried out an “exemplary tour of duty”, Caracal says in a statement.

He is credited for resetting Kenya-Tanzania relations to its current, elevated level and transforming business and investment relations between the two countries.

Caracal CE Robbie McCrae says Kazungu joins the company at a crucial time, as it enters the next phase of its growth trajectory, aiming to double gold production to 24 000 t/y at its flagship Kilimapesa gold mine, in Kenya, as well as expanding its operations into Tanzania through recent gold acquisitions.

“His wealth of experience in the region will be critical in helping us realise our ambition of becoming a major gold producer and mine developer in East Africa,” he notes.

Prior to his diplomatic mission to Tanzania, Kazungu served as Kenya Mining Minister, where he drove mining and business reforms, which saw the country’s global mining ranking improve from one hundred and twenty-fifth place to eighty-third in just 12 months.

During his tenure, Kenya’s mining sector rose to become one of the top three growth sectors in Kenya’s economy.

Kazungu also served as Member of Parliament for the Malindi constituency for a three-year period, where he successfully lobbied central government to build vital regional infrastructure links including roads, an airport and a school.

His corporate experience spans over ten years working at tech companies IBM and Lenovo, where Kazungu worked as East Africa territory manager, receiving a special mention by IBM at the NYSE for delivering a successful growth strategy in Ethiopia.

Kazungu is a BSc graduate in information technology from Moi University, in Kenya. He also holds an MA degree in diplomacy and foreign policy from the same university.