KINGSTON, Jamaica – Renowned radio talk show host and dub poet Mutabaruka says Jamaica should have become a republic long ago and has criticised Prime Minister Andrew Holness for being “reactionary” on the issue of cutting ties with the British monarchy.

He made the remarks to OBSERVER ONLINE as he joined demonstrators outside the British High Commission in St Andrew on Tuesday to protest against the official visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the island.

READ: Royal protest outside British High Commission in Jamaica

“The prime minister is the culprit because he could have prevented them from coming, he could have declared Jamaica a republic,” Mutabaruka said, calling Holness “one of the most reactionary prime ministers Jamaica has ever seen.”

The dub moet noted that Jamaica becoming a republic “nah go change the price of food… but it has a psychological implication on the minds and consciousness of the people.”

He said “it has an internal significance to how we view ourselves.”

Prince William and Kate are in Jamaica on a three-day trip to the island, the visit part of a larger trip to the Caribbean region that coincides with the 70th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The visit has been met with intense opposition from locals due to the role the British monarchy played in slavery.

On Wednesday, Holness told the royals that Jamaica would be “moving on” and seeking to cut ties with the monarchy.