Kyle Knowles, Political ‘Newbie’ Making Big Progress  

By Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

#TurksandCaicos, March 12, 2022 – The newest kid on the political block has turned out to be a trendsetting leader for the governing Progressive National Party.

“I’m just wanting to do things right.  Get things done for once.  It definitely drives home the mindset that even as a parliamentarian, there is nothing wrong with rolling up your sleeves and doing some heavy lifting,” said Kyle Knowles, Wheeland – Member of Parliament.

How he got it done was by knowing the processes and activating government departments established to help.

“As a former civil servant and wanting to follow the procedure, just touching bases with my colleagues, touching bases with primarily the Public Works Department and them having the access to funding and equipment through a contractor, to have it done, and just bringing them out and having them see first-hand the high traffic that we have in this area…”

He said it all helped and work began later in 2021.

 Kyle Knowles won the Wheeland District in February 19 2021 General Elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Wheeland District is usually the first constituency to be complete its electoral process, but in 2021, it was the last district to announce the final tally: 270 for PDM incumbent, Delroy Williams, a former government minister and 273, for newbie, Kyle Knowles to secure another seat in a near sweep for the Progressive National Party, PNP.

News of the upset, spread fast and far.  Kyle Knowles had unseated a veteran and is now doing what appears to be the most – without a ministerial portfolio – of any member of parliament.  Now, he is working to ensure he keeps the confidence of the electorate by upholding his campaign pledges.

“Overtime, there has been a lot of erosion to the sides of the road and damages to the curves; so wanting to mitigate the risk of it all was very important to me and I am just glad we were able to get it done.”

Accidents where cars were literally flipped upside-down have stopped.  Employees of the Amanyara Resort, which live in a staff residence off the highway are grateful and the future is newly paved roadways and sidewalks, featuring also bike paths.

“It brought a different outlook to the constituency; always being one wanting to see more organized, beautified area,” said Hon Knowles in an interview as he stood at an intersection which used to be accident-prone, “Starting off here, only seemed right.  With the help of the Ministry of Infrastructure, in helping to pave some other roads, it helped to bring some normalcy to the constituency.”

 The roadway could be described as a death trap.  A tricky curve has cost lives and resulted in freakish accidents.  Motorists do speed along this thoroughfare, but taking back the bush which once jutted out into the highway and widening the roadway has brought an end to traffic tragedies and relief to pedestrians.

As for what was done:  “They got a tractor, they got a grader, they got a roller, they got a few loads of quarry and they proceeded to carry out the exercise putting the quarry down, pushing it so that it would take shape, watering it so that it would be hard and fastened to the road and to the sides or area they were working and that was it.  Then Mother Nature did its part.”

The Member of Parliament says, residents and motorists have been appreciative of the works programme which has seen the Millennium Highway widened and bushes trimmed.

“We have to drive safely and responsibly, but again we have to see how we can have the roadways properly cleared for that to happen,” said Knowles.

 Kyle Knowles, who is a 34-year old husband and father of a young daughter has a behemoth of a problem in this very same community as well; an elephant in the room with a funky smell and an infamous reputation: the Providenciales Landfill, better known as the ‘Dump’.

Easing of the issues linked to the landfill was also a significant part of the Knowles Election campaign.  Many are holding on and holding him to solving the problem.

“We have made significant strides with the CDB Consultation. I want to thank Ms Tiffany Murray, who is the current project manager spearheading those works, she’s done an excellent job, trying her endeavor best to make sure we hit those targets.  Hopefully by April, we would have hit some major landmarks with those works,”  said Knowles when questioned.

An update is expected to be delivered soon Knowles shared.  The Ministry of Health has posted him to the special committee working with the Caribbean Development Bank on the consultation of national solid waste management solutions.

The Dump has been blamed for polluting the atmosphere, attracting illicit activity and emitting foul odors to the communities and resorts flanking the property in the northwest  of Providenciales.