This study examined the role of information and communication technology (ICT) usage in the management of higher education institutions in Uganda, with Metropolitan International University (MIU) as the primary case study. The study was motivated by growing recognition that effective ICT integration in university management spanning academic records management, student services, financial management, human resources administration, and institutional communication was a critical determinant of management efficiency, service quality, and institutional competitiveness in Uganda's rapidly growing and increasingly competitive higher education sector. Employing a cross-sectional survey design with quantitative and qualitative methods, data were collected from 124 respondents including academic staff, administrative staff, students, and senior management. ICT usage was operationalised through three dimensions: academic management ICT systems, administrative management ICT systems, and communication ICT systems, while management effectiveness constituted the dependent variable. Descriptive statistics revealed moderate to high levels of ICT adoption across all dimensions (means 3.41–3.78). Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated significant positive relationships between all three ICT usage dimensions and management effectiveness (r = 0.584 to 0.714, p < .001). Multiple linear regression revealed that the three dimensions collectively explained 67.8% of the variance in management effectiveness (R² = 0.678, F = 42.37, p < .001), with academic management ICT systems emerging as the strongest individual predictor (β = 0.408, p < .001). The study concluded that ICT usage was a critical driver of management effectiveness at MIU and recommended systematic ICT infrastructure investment, staff capacity building, and integrated enterprise resource planning adoption.