In the book "The Mzungu Boy" by Meja Mwangi, Kariuki's father is Bwamba Ruin's personal chef and is described as being extremely stern and ruling his house under threat of violence . Kariuki's friendship with Nigel, Bwana Ruin's grandson, is forbidden by many people, including Kariuki’s parents, who feared losing their jobs if Bwana Ruin found out how his grandson was spending his days .