IEBC Chairman Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan has restated that although the Commission will seek services from officials of the Kenyan  Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates, the said officials will be working under the supervision of IEBC officials. He said the Commission will take full charge of Diaspora voting to ensure that the process is free of any political influence.
IEBC Chairman told a visiting UK Foreign Affairs Committee that the electoral body will only engage embassy staff and not Ambassadors, High Commissioners and their deputies. This he said, was to ensure that the process is free and fair.
The registration of citizens outside the country and actual voting will take place at Kenyan Embassies and High Commission. Passports will be used for identification and voters must register in person. Political parties can have agents to witness the voting exercise.

In an effort to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission now builds the capacity to undertake investigation in election offences and to prosecute such cases as outlined in its mandate. An Investigation and Prosecutions Department is being created to enhance the Legal Department. So far vacancies for a manager for investigation and prosecutions and two other vacancies for election offences officers have been advertised.

For a long time, electoral management in Kenya lacked the teeth and independence to handle electoral crimes but this is set to change with the enactment of a new Constitutional mandate. The Constitution of Kenya 2010, and specifically Article 88(4) (e), mandates the Commission to provide for mechanisms to settle electoral disputes, including disputes relating to or arising from nominations but excluding election petitions and disputes subsequent to the declaration of election results. In addition, Section 107(2) of the Elections Act further empowers the Commission to prosecute any offences under the Elections Act and impose sanctions against a person who commits such offences as prescribed by the Act.

The deadline for political parties to seek for full registration ended on 30th April, 2012. Out of the 47 parties that managed to beat the 180 day deadline (from 1st Nov., 2011 commencement of political parties Act), 21 have so far been issued with certificates of full registration.

The fully registered parties, according to Section 16 (2) of the Political Parties Act 2011 should prepare and submit to the Registrar a written declaration giving details of all assets and expenditures including within 60 days of their being registered. The details include all contributions, donations or pledges of contributions or donations, whether in cash or in kind, made or to be made to the initial assets of the political party by its founding members in respect of the first year of its existence.

The Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan has launched a handbook that deals with electoral laws and systems in Kenya. The launch brought together IEBC commissioners, members of civil society, politicians, media and development partners in electoral matters.
The book which was prepared by Ongoya Elisha and Willis Otieno in association with Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) puts together the Elections Act, IEBC Act and the Political Parties Act as well as  the relevant sections of the Constitution in relation to elections in a simplified format. The handbook provides timely and invaluable one-stop reference to the election reforms in Kenya.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in its quest to prepare and plan for the forthcoming general elections set for March 4, 2013 sent out a delegation comprising of IEBC staff to observe the presidential elections run-off held on March 25, 2012 in Senegal. According to Article 138(4) and (5) of the Constitution, a presidential run-off shall be held within thirty days of the first round if none of the presidential is elected for failure to meet the required threshold, i.e. more than half of all the votes cast in the election and at least twenty-five per cent of the votes cast in each of more than half of the counties.