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By SKN Times Investigations Unit | October 17, 2025

A growing wave of public frustration is sweeping across St. Kitts and Nevis as citizens once again call on the Drew administration to release lands that were approved and allocated to them under the former Team Unity government. The controversy — long described as one of the most vindictive and politically motivated policies of the current regime — has resurfaced with new urgency, reigniting outrage over what many view as deliberate victimization of ordinary people for political revenge.

A POLICY ROOTED IN POLITICAL VINDICTIVENESS

Since taking office in 2022, the Drew-led Labour administration has faced persistent accusations of withholding access to lands that were formally approved, surveyed, and documented under the leadership of 3rd Prime Minister, Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris. In many cases, citizens who had already received official letters of approval or payment confirmations for residential and agricultural lands have reportedly been denied possession — told instead that their allocations were “incorrect” or “under review.”

But as time passes and excuses mount, the public’s patience has worn thin.

One citizen expressed the frustration of hundreds in a viral social media post:

“We need to ask about the hundreds of citizens who still can’t get access to their land after being given letters for land approval. Tell Dr. Drew to advise PS Dore to release the lands and stop telling citizens they can’t find their letters or that someone else got the land — only to give those same lands to their supporters.”

The accusations, which have gained significant traction online, paint a disturbing picture of selective justice and partisan distribution of national assets, where loyalists are rewarded and others are punished.

DR. HARRIS: “CORRECT MISTAKES — DON’T PUNISH CITIZENS.”

During a 2024 press conference, former Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris forcefully condemned the policy as “nasty, vindictive, and morally indefensible.” He accused the Drew administration of weaponizing land — one of the country’s most cherished national assets — as a tool of political intimidation.

“Even if there were errors in allocation,” Dr. Harris declared, “the government has a duty to correct those errors — not to deprive citizens of access to their lands. The people should never suffer for the government’s mistakes.”

The former leader, under whose administration hundreds of ordinary Kittitians and Nevisians received letters of approval for lands in places such as Lodge, La Guerite, Bourryeau, and Conaree, has called on affected citizens to seek legal redress if necessary.

“If you are being unfairly denied access to your approved land, I encourage you to speak with an attorney and take the government to court if you must,” Harris urged. “Your rights are protected under the law — not by the whims of a minister.”

LAND: THE HEARTBEAT OF THE KITTITIAN DREAM

For generations, land ownership has represented independence, dignity, and progress for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. From the days of emancipation to the modern age, land has been the cornerstone of generational wealth and the promise of a better life.

That legacy, critics argue, is now being undermined by a government more interested in political control than empowerment.

The withholding of land approvals has affected teachers, nurses, police officers, farmers, and young professionals — many of whom had already begun preparing to build homes or cultivate crops. Some have reported making down payments or even clearing their plots before being abruptly told that their allocations were “invalid.”

CITIZENS SPEAK OUT: “STOP PLAYING POLITICS WITH OUR FUTURE.”

Social media has become the new battleground for citizens seeking justice. The tone is angry, defiant, and determined.

“This government is punishing people for who they supported politically,” one commenter wrote. “Land is not a party gift. It belongs to the people of this country, not to politicians.”

Another added:

“Under Team Unity, people were getting land to build homes. Now, under Drew, we’re getting excuses and empty promises. Stop playing politics with our future.”

The outcry underscores what many describe as a growing climate of fear and favoritism, where public servants and ordinary citizens feel targeted or sidelined for perceived political allegiances.

THE DOUBLE STANDARD: LAND FOR “PRIVATE CITY” DEVELOPERS, NONE FOR THE PEOPLE

The controversy comes at a time when the Drew administration is already under fire for approving the sale of over 4,000 acres — six square miles — to foreign developers for the construction of a “Private City” under the Special Sustainability Zones (SSZ) Act.

That decision has further deepened public anger, as citizens contrast their own struggles to access long-promised plots with the government’s eagerness to sell vast expanses of land to foreign investors.

“How can you tell ordinary Kittitians their letters can’t be found, but you can find 4,000 acres to sell to foreigners?” asked one frustrated commenter. “Whose country is this, really?”

A GOVERNMENT LOSING THE MORAL GROUND

The optics could not be worse. At a time when the government claims to be “powering progress,” it stands accused of doing precisely the opposite — blocking citizens from progress while empowering outsiders and elites.

Analysts warn that the situation, if left unresolved, could evolve into a major political liability for Prime Minister Drew, whose administration is already facing widespread skepticism over transparency, governance, and national priorities.

CONCLUSION: THE PEOPLE’S PATIENCE HAS RUN OUT

As the outcry grows louder, one truth is becoming increasingly clear: the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will no longer accept vindictive governance disguised as policy.

Land, as Dr. Harris emphasized, is not a partisan privilege but a national right. And until the government releases the lands it has unjustly withheld, the cries for justice will only grow stronger.

“You can’t build a sustainable nation on revenge,” Dr. Harris said. “The government must fix the problem — not punish the people.”

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