He joined Makerere University in 1978, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

He attended the basic officers course in 1989, after the National Resistance Army (NRA) had captured power in Kampala, Uganda's capital city.

[3] In October 2010, Nyakairima was inducted into the International Hall of Fame at the Lewis and Clark Centre at Fort Leavenworth for attaining the highest position in the military of his country.

He was fluent in multiple languages, including Luganda, English, Luo, Runyakitara, and Swahili.

[1] On 12 September 2015, while traveling on official duties from South Korea to Dubai, he suffered a heart attack.