NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Free National Movement (FNM) candidate for Central and South Eleuthera, Philippa Kelly, is calling on the government to immediately address what she described as a worsening power and water crisis on the island, warning that residents are being forced to live in “unacceptable” conditions.
“Residents in Central & South Eleuthera have gone days without water, yet again! When the power goes out, the water stops, the phones cut off, and entire communities are left in darkness. Many furious parents can not cook! Frustrated children and students can not sleep! Many senior citizens have to sit and endure the sweltering heat! Small businesses continue to shut down due to massive produce lost! Life comes to a halt! This is the daily reality in Central and South Eleuthera, and a dangerous economic endemic Bahamians should not be facing in 2025,” Kelly said in a statement.
She recalled that the government previously acknowledged problems with Aqua Design Bahamas, which operates the reverse osmosis plant supplying parts of Eleuthera.
“Last summer, the PLP government admitted that Aqua Design Bahama failed our communities. Officials warned the company that equipment at its reverse osmosis plant caused a serious lapse in service. Residents could not bathe, flush toilets, or keep their household with running water. Some families to this day still must store jugs of water because the water service is unreliable.”
Kelly also blasted the government’s handling of persistent power outages, accusing officials of offering short-term relief rather than fixing systemic issues.
“The ongoing BPL outages cut off the most critical needs of life. Instead of fixing the root of the problem, the PLP government insensitive answer to this suffering is a one-month 50% rebate on an electricity bill. A single discount or rebate does not begin to scratch the surface of bills that have jumped from a few dollars in recent years to now hundreds of dollars every month. Meanwhile, Bahamians are told that they must manage their own usage as if they’re the blame for this current administration crisis. At a time when the cost of living is stretching the Bahamian people thin financially, this response is not only shameful but also an insult to all who have been forced to endure the years of blackouts, unreliable water supply and unaffordable power bills.”
The FNM candidate further argued that electricity costs have spiraled out of control since the Progressive Liberal Party took office.
“We again raise the fact that since 2021, electricity bills have soared by 100% under the PLP government. These increases are not because Bahamians are using more power, but because of failed energy policies and poor planning. To make matters worse, the PLP government is quick to either disconnect customer services and or collect money from struggling Bahamians, but slow to provide affordable and reliable services.”
Kelly urged the government to adopt a long-term policy shift that prioritizes affordable and dependable infrastructure.
“This nationwide power and water failure is part of a much larger crisis. The Bahamian people deserve a policy that cut power cost, invests in reliable power and water, restores transparency in how resources are delivered, and secures long-term infrastructure. Access to clean, reliable power and water is the basic human right, and not a privilege.”
