Borrowing too much too fast? Africa’s growing debt challenge

It has been a rough year for the West African countries most affected by the Ebola virus that has ravaged their communities and crippled their economies, disrupting agriculture and trade.

Forecast to lose a combined $1.6 billion (Sh163.2 billion) in predicted economic growth in 2015, the people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone breathed a collective sigh of relief when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forgave a combined $100 million (Sh10.2 billion) in loans, shortly after disbursing $130 million (Sh13.3 billion) in aid last September. The intention was to free up funds for relief and recovery efforts.