McKenzie reflects on tenure as Kingston mayor

The number of homeless persons on the streets of the Corporate Area is on the increase, according to former Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie.

In his final address as mayor on Tuesday, McKenzie said the number of homeless persons in the downtown Kingston area has now surpassed 2,000.

McKenzie, the member of parliament (MP)-elect for West Kingston who was first elected mayor in 2003, said he has also detected an increase in crimes against homeless persons.

"Some of them are set on fire, some are beaten and some are given stale food to eat," he said at the monthly meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) at its Church Street offices.

He said one of his biggest disappointments as mayor was the lack of respect throughout the Jamaican society for people who are less fortunate.

McKenzie, the long-time protégé of former West Kingston MP and prime minister, Edward Seaga, was first elected councillor for the Denham Town division in 1977.

At the time, the KSAC had 41 divisions and McKenzie was one of just two Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillors there.

"My fond memory of my first day at the KSAC ... I came in through the front door, but we had to leave through the back in a police radio car covered up under a sheet," he reflected.

Pointing to what he said was one of his greatest accomplishments, the former mayor said he was proud he was able to reduce the level of political divisiveness at the KSAC.

"I would never like this council to go back to be a tribal council," he said.

Lauded for leadership

His colleagues on both sides agreed, lauding McKenzie - the councillor for the Tivoli division - for the even-handed manner in which he administered the affairs of the KSAC.

"I think Mayor McKenzie has done well in terms of building a true bipartisan culture as to how we do business at the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation," the People's National Party's (PNP) minority leader at the KSAC, Angela Brown Burke, told The Gleaner.

PNP councillor for the Vineyard Town division, Andrew Swaby, admitted he was not in favour of McKenzie being elected mayor, but praised the former mayor for the balanced leadership he displayed.