Oloya was born in the village of Pamin-Yai, in modern-day
Amuru District,
Northern Region, Uganda, in 1957. At the time of his birth, Amuru District was part of neighboring
Gulu District. After attending local primarily schools, he was admitted to
Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School for part of his O-Level studies (S1 to S3), from 1973 until 1976. He transferred to
St. Peter's College Tororo, completing both his O-Level and A-Level education there, from 1976 until 1979. In 1979 he was admitted to
Makerere University to pursue a degree in political science. While at Makerere, he became active in campus politics and was elected president of ''Makerere University Students' Guild''. His views clashed with those of the ruling
Obote II regime at the time. In 1981, he fled to neighboring Kenya, before finishing his undergraduate studies. He filed for refugee status in Kenya and was accepted by
Canada, where he relocated in 1981. He continued his studies at
Queen's University, graduating with the degree of
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1986. He went on to attain the degree of
Master of Education from the
University of Ottawa in 1988. In June 2010, he successfully defended his thesis for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy at
York University. ==Career==