The study aimed at examining the impact of Internal Audit Function independence on Transparency & Accountability. The study adopted independence as the independent variable and transparency & accountability as the dependent variable, measured by management perception, organization policy, auditees' cooperation and risk exposure of the organization. Survey data was collected from local authorities in Zimbabwe using semi structured questionnaires. Correlation and regression analysis were used to test the hypothesis that the existence of an independent internal audit function in an organization is positively associated with transparency and accountability. Study findings revealed that the existence of an independent internal audit function in an organization is positively associated with transparency and accountability. The findings concur with results from previous studies which concluded that an independent internal audit function plays a monitoring role, therefore contributing towards promoting good corporate governance practices, supporting the applicability of the Agency Theory and the Theory of Inspired Confidence in internal audit research

This study looks at the impact of risk on bank spreads in Kenya's banking sector using data from 13 banks selected through purposive sampling on the basis of available data. Two forms of risk namely credit risk and liquidity risk are analysed against bank spread as dependent variable. Bank spread is measured in two ways: interest rate spread and gross margin. The data is analysed using correlation and regression statistics. The findings on credit risk are non-significant and not in the expected direction of the study hypothesis. Liquidity risk results were negative and significant with both spread measures leading to the conclusion that banks recover the opportunity cost of holding low earning assets from customers. There is need for banks to come up with more innovative investment products for its depositors to allow for longer term holding of such deposits thus lowering liquidity risk premiums. Government would also do well to manage the level of borrowing from the domestic market so as to re-direct commercial bank lending away from the low earning government paper to private lending which has higher yields. This would reduce the need to cover for the opportunity cost of holding so much assets in liquid form.