Kakuru obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry, with honors, from Makerere University in 1990.
He also holds a Master of Science degree in environment and natural resources management from Makerere University.
As an environmentalist, Kakuru worked at the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, in Nairobi, Kenya; the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry in Nairobi; the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization in Vienna, Austria; the National Agricultural Research Organisation in Kampala, Uganda; and the World Mountain Peoples' Association in Paris, France.
In April 1992, Kakuru was elected a member of the Kabale District Council, representing the Rwamucucu Sub-county.
[8] In March 2010, Kakuru was elected a member of the 8th Ugandan Parliament, representing Rukiga County in the Kabale District[9] after defeating Forum for Democratic Change candidate Jack Sabiiti.