Who is Senmut and Kipa from Sinuhe the Egyptian: A Novel and what is their importance?

Senmut and Kipa are Sinuhe's adoptive parents. Senmut is a physician serving the poor, while Kipa keeps a tidy, thrifty home while longing to be rich. She is described as kind and generous to the needy. When Kipa finds a newborn in the Nile in a reed boat, she claims him, and hangs the boat over his bed. She names him for a legendary adventurer and tells him many stories.