Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, has announced that he will step down from office on March 16, 2025, marking the end of a decade-long tenure at the helm of the twin-island nation.
His announcement came during a ceremony on Tuesday morning, where the D’Abadie/O’Meara Road was officially renamed Lisa Morris-Julian Boulevard.
Rowley, who will hand over leadership to Energy Minister Stuart Young, reflected on his legacy of governance and national development.
“As Prime Minister, I too am ending my tenure of public service—thankfully, not sadly—but with a certain amount of satisfaction that I have been able to have colleagues around me and been given the responsibility to chart a course of development for this country for a period of time,” Rowley stated.
He emphasized that public service is always temporary, noting that many in political life either forget or struggle to accept this reality. “As I conclude a number of assignments in these weeks, I do so with some satisfaction that my presence among my colleagues and the national community would have contributed to national development and that I would have done something good with you and for you,” he added.
Before leaving office, Rowley will oversee the inauguration of key infrastructure projects. On March 10, he will inaugurate the Central Block of the Port of Spain General Hospital, followed by the opening of the new ANR Robinson Airport terminal on March 15.
“As we do that, I leave you on the 16th of March as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago,” he confirmed.
Rowley’s impending departure follows his final appearance at a CARICOM summit last week, where regional leaders paid tribute to his contributions. His retirement from active politics was first announced in January, alongside his decision not to contest the upcoming general election, which is constitutionally due by the end of the year. Stuart Young, the current Energy Minister, is expected to succeed him as leader of the People’s National Movement (PNM).
Rowley entered politics in 1981, contesting the Tobago West seat. Though unsuccessful, he remains the only PNM candidate to have contested general election seats in both Tobago and Trinidad. Over the years, he has held several ministerial portfolios, including Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, Planning and Development, and Trade and Industry. Since 1991, he has served as the Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West.
Elected as PNM leader in 2010, Rowley led the party to victories in the 2015 and 2020 general elections, becoming the nation’s seventh Prime Minister and the second Tobago-born leader to hold the position.
Despite political challenges, including his dismissal by former Prime Minister Patrick Manning in 2008, Keith Rowley’s resilience saw him rise to the country’s highest office in 2015. His decade in leadership will be remembered for steering the country through economic challenges and infrastructural advancements.
