Prime Minister hands land titles to more than 40 Ackee Walk and Jackson Town residents

Prime Minister Andrew Holness presided over a land titling ceremony on Wednesday, 18 June 2026, at Medbrook Church of Christ in St. Andrew Northwestern, where more than 40 residents of Ackee Walk and Jackson Town received registered titles to their properties.

The event marked the fulfilment of a commitment Holness made in October 2024, when the government declared both communities under the Registration of Titles, Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Clarification Special Provisions Act. That declaration allowed the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development and the National Land Agency to pursue systematic regularization rather than waiting for residents to initiate applications on their own.

Permanent Secretary Arlene Williams told the gathering that teams from the ministry and NLA had spent years collecting and verifying information, engaging residents, and resolving adjudication matters. She urged beneficiaries whose cases remain outstanding to supply the required documentation so their applications can be completed.

Member of Parliament Dwayne Smith described the effort as a relay begun by his father, former MP Derek Smith, who secured 12 titles for Ackee Walk around 2015, continued by Dr. Nigel Clark, and brought to completion under his own representation. Smith also pressed Holness on deteriorating road conditions along Fair Dean Avenue, which he said is the top infrastructure concern in the constituency.

Minister without portfolio Robert Montigue, who holds responsibility for land titling and settlement, warned against squatting on government lands and urged new title holders to pay property taxes and encourage neighbours still outside the process to complete their files.

In his address, Holness said formal ownership protects families, enables borrowing against property, and supports intergenerational wealth. He noted that informal settlement in Jamaica dates back to post-emancipation free villages, and that Ackee Walk was subdivided into 79 lots after a 1978 special improvement area declaration, while Jackson Town properties along Malyn Road were declared in 1980. He said the government intends to expand declarations and systematic registration nationwide, citing Jamaica's roughly 60% titling rate compared with higher rates in developed economies.

Titles were presented individually by Holness, Montigue, and Smith to recipients from both communities, including Stefan Thompson, Jamila Gordon, and Rosemary Pink, who delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the beneficiaries.