Everyone, including the police, was taken aback by the new-look Mungiki Sect during a meeting of members and officials at Thika last week.
All the speakers sounded like they had been born again. They were unusually law-abiding, peaceful and conciliatory in their political utterances.
Like their national co-ordinator, Mr Ibrahim Ndura Waruinge, the hundreds of sectarians exuded confidence and pride as they trooped, cycled and rode to the industrial town's Starehe grounds, while local traders took no chances and closed shop in case there was a violent confrontation between the visitors and police.
Since it came to the limelight five years ago, Mungiki has been one of Kenya's most controversial religious sects, demonised by all and sundry. Mainstream Church leaders, the authorities, and President Moi have described it as "illegal, Satanic and violent", viewing it as a sinister, anti-Government movement motivated by tribal atavism.
On the other hand, it has been supported to the hilt by a few MPs from Kikuyu-dominated areas in Central Province, parts of Rift Valley and Nairobi. Thus, to many Kenyans, the sect is a Kikuyu movement with a hidden political agenda.
This view is vehemently opposed by the sect's leadership. It has always taken great pains to explain that it is a peaceful religious sect with a cultural essence to its teachings.
Some of the sects' outward practices include wearing dreadlocks, promoting female genital mutilation (FGM), and allowing members to take the snuff openly. As a result, the authorities have always described it as an illegal organisation and disrupted all its meetings.
Yet the Thika venue was very well-organised. Mungiki flags flew high, its youth league dressed in uniform with matching hats with Mungiki colours.
Before the speeches started, the national co-ordinator was invited by a youth league leader to inspect a guard of honour. For the next five minutes, he did just that as the members sang the National Anthem in Kiswahili.
But was not a surprise when Mr Waruinge announce at the climax of the meeting that the sect would be transformed into a political movement - not a party - targeting 150 of the 210 constituencies through the various parties. Though he had no evidence, he claimed the movement had set aside Sh80 million for the purpose.
To show they are serious about plunging into politics on their own, the sect allowed no sitting MP or civic leader to address the historic meeting.
Said Mr Waruinge: "We will not form a political party, but will ask our members to support one of our own in the existing parties in their respective areas. We will not support any sitting MP either."
Mungiki will not spare the presidential berth either and insists that whoever they back will have to be aged 45 years and below and with a national outlook.
The big surprise of the day was that the Thika police allowed the sect to hold what the co-ordinator described as an "annual delegates' meeting" to chart out its future stand in the socio-political landscape.
To observers, the sudden Government turnaround to allow Mungiki to hold a meeting, especially one with such a strong political agenda, raised eyebrows, to say the least.
According to Waruinge, they had invited over 4,000 delegates who were expected to travel from all over the country to attend the meeting and pass resolutions. He insisted they were self-sponsored and that "Kanu had nothing to do with it".
The only hitch the sect members experienced with the authorities was when three of their mini-buses were impounded earlier in the morning, following an apparent communication breakdown between the police boss and Mr Waruinge.
Besides that, the meeting went on smoothly. At times it resembled a Kanu rally as the lyrics to familiar tunes were changed to fit the occasion. A women's group even sang the Kiswahili song Tawala, Rais, tawala ("Rule, President, Rule") usually sang by school choirs to praise President Moi.
In his keynote speech, the leader bashed Mr Mwai Kibaki, the official leader of the opposition in Parliament, and the Kikuyu-based Gikuyu, Embu and Meru association (Gema). Many observers believed he had been sent and financed to do just that, with the aim of eroding the influence in Central Province of Mr Kibaki's Democratic Party.
Was it any surprise then that they praised President Moi for announcing that he was ready to step down next year in favour of a young contender to replace him?
Said Mr Waruinge: "Mungiki will only support anyone over 45 years of age for the presidency. The person must be a nationalist and accepted to most Kenyans."
To many observers, Waruinge's latest move bears a lot of similarities with Mr Ngonya wa Gakonya's Tent of the Living God sect, which was very vocal against the Government before the first multi-party elections in 1992, but which faded away as soon as Kanu romped home.
So as the clock ticks closer to Next Year's General Election, It will be interesting to see where this born-again movement heads, whether its enigmatic leaders will be able to hold the flock together in pursuit of a political pipe dream.