The arrest of Mr Patrick Analo Akivaga, Nairobi County's Chief Officer for Urban Planning and for years one of Governor Johnson Sakaja's closest and most trusted allies, has laid bare the workings of a building approval system that critics say has enabled illegal developments to flourish across the city, often with deadly consequences.
Mr Analo's dramatic arrest by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives on Thursday marked the latest chapter in a controversy that has dogged his tenure at City Hall, where he has repeatedly found himself at the centre of disputes over irregular building approvals, enforcement failures and allegations of abuse of office.
