Councillor Andrew Swaby Sworn in as Kingston’s New Mayor

Councillor for the Vineyard Town Division in St. Andrew South Eastern, Andrew Swaby, was on Tuesday (March 12) sworn in as the new Mayor of Kingston.

He succeeds Councillor for the Seivwright Gardens Division in St. Andrew West Central, Senator Delroy Williams, who will serve as Deputy Mayor.

Both were installed during a ceremony at the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) on Church Street in downtown Kingston.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, and Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, were among the officials attending.

The function was presided over by the Electoral Office of Jamaica’s Principal Returning Officer for Kingston and St. Andrew, Cecil Munroe.

Senator Williams, who served as Mayor and Municipal Corporation Chairman from 2016 to 2024, performed the symbolic ‘robing’ of his successor with assistance from Member of Parliament for St. Andrew South Eastern, Julian Robinson, marking the formal transition of leadership.

In addition, all 40 KSAMC Councillors took the Oath of Office and Affirmation during the installation ceremony.

The Corporation comprises an even split between the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People`s National Party (PNP) following the February 26 Local Government Elections.

However, the Mayor was selected from the PNP’s slate by virtue of the party winning the popular vote in Kingston and St. Andrew.

In his address, Mayor Swaby, who will also serve as KSAMC Chairman, urged the Councillors to work with integrity, as they represent the citizens’ interests.

“I ask each and every one of you to use your best efforts to work together as we serve the people who elected us. Let us endeavour to be respectful to each other and to put the people’s business before self at all times,” he urged.

Among the areas Councillor Swaby said will be prioritised are hosting quarterly townhalls; improved solid waste management, streetlights, sanitary facilities in markets, water, sewerage and road repairs; and activities governing building and town planning.

Mayor Swaby gave an undertaking to serve the citizens of Kingston and St. Andrew with honesty and integrity and charged Councillors on both sides to do likewise.

“Together we will use our knowledge, skills and experience to bring about meaningful change and development to the benefit of all who live, work and do business in Kingston and St. Andrew,” he added.

For his part, Senator Williams congratulated the new Mayor on his accession and challenged him to lead with wisdom to achieve the Corporation’s mandate.

“This is a tied Municipality at this time, and I want to commit the support of our side to the vision and the pursuit of the Mayor. We know there will be times when there will be disagreements, but we have a culture here of working out our disagreements, and in the end, the interests of the people of the Municipality must be served,” he said.

Also attending the ceremony were the Custodes Rotulorum for Kingston and St. Andrew, Hon. Steadman Fuller and Ian Forbes, respectively; Opposition Leader, Mark Golding; and Member of Parliament for St. Andrew South Western, Dr. Angela Brown Burke.