Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the opening of competitive politics in Africa, the continent is still trying to balance with the new multi-party system.

Yesterday, former President Daniel Moi lamented that the post-election violence that rocked parts of the country early this year was caused by introduction of multi -party politics in the country.

We beg to differ, but not on the substance.

The recent turbulence was more a direct result of economic desperation rather than political mischief.

It is the Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria who once argued that democracy by itself is not the penultimate prize for any country, but rather democracy.

Liberal democracy accompanied by true economic empowerment is the best way to safeguard democracy.

According to the award winning writer, democracy without any economic gain- he actually says that any country with a per capita income of less than $9,000 cannot truly be democratic but only a sham democracy - is no democracy.

Africa needs to seriously reconsider what its priorities are, like the just concluded elections have shown, economic empowerment is the best thing that can happen to Kenya, not political enhancement.

There is nothing wrong with political competition as long as it not about the next meal.