Basseterre, St. Kitts (Public Infrastructure News) – On March 18, 2022, a massive fire erupted at the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School at approximately 10 p.m., leaving students displaced and a community in disbelief as it witnessed the destruction of the pivotal education institution.
The event left many wondering how the fire started and what would become of the students whose education was interrupted without warning. The first question appeared to be answered on May 27, 2022, when the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force formally charged an individual with setting fire to a public building. The answer to the second question came in the form of a temporary relocation to the Explorer’s Youth Club Headquarters.
Notwithstanding an apparent return to normalcy at the temporary location, assurances from the government that it would rebuild the school left many people expectant.
The project, which went to tender midyear in 2024, was divided into three reconstruction projects for Blocks A, B, and C, respectively.
Speaking at the Press Conference organized by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport and the Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology, and Post on June 5, 2025, the Deputy Director of the Public Works Department, Xia-Xiang Claxton, shared critical news about the timeline of the school’s completion.
“When it comes to the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School, all of the contracts have been signed, thankfully. Construction works have already begun, and that is set to be completed by next school year (2026 – 2027).”
For the community that lost a valuable institution of learning on March 18, 2022, the reconstruction of the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School is a symbol of community spirit, the government’s resolve to rebuild from the ashes, and the critical support that the Public Works Department provides in advancing not only the work of its parent ministry, but other ministries as well.
For more information from the Public Works Department, visit mopieudt.gov.kn/the-public-works-department and follow PWD on Facebook.
